Going vegan this January?

Written by
Samantha Taylor

Last edited on 25th April 2019 at 9:56 am

If you decided to go vegan this Veganuary there are many nutrients you need to be mindful of to maintain a healthy lifestyle. We speak to plant-based athlete Sam Taylor to find out how stay healthy and active.

Often when people first try a vegan lifestyle they think of what they need to cut out, rather than what they need to add to their diet, this is where the problems can start. If you are not getting a wide enough range of food you may start getting deficiencies in certain nutrients.

Staying active on a plant-based diet

In my personal experience as an elite athlete there was a lot I needed to consider. With guidance from my nutritionist I knew I had a good plan which gave me everything I needed and I soon felt the benefits.

The two big myths about vegan diets is that you can’t get enough protein and vitamin B12. However complex protein is found in quinoa, seeds, nuts, tofu, kale, spinach and broccoli to name just a few. As well as having all the amino acids we need, they also contain fibre and complex carbs, along with more vitamins and minerals than meat protein.

If like me you have a really active lifestyle, you can get an additional protein boost from superfoods such as goji berries, hemp seeds, spirulina and chlorella.

B12 is predominantly found in meat and fish; plants don’t contain B12 as they don’t require it themselves. However, you can get B12 from fortified plant-based foods, such as plant-based milks, soya products, nutritional yeast and even Marmite.

As you change your diet you may find your taste buds change too. I used to hate marmite but now I love it! With my active diet I find it works best to keep going with Marmite and the BetterYou Boost B12 Oral Spray. The convenient spray ensures the vitamin is delivered directly into my bloodstream ensuring I’ve got lots of energy for all my training.

About the author

Samantha Taylor has always been a sporty person, she started actively competing in multiple sports from a young age and internationally in Taekwondo from the age of 16.

In April 2014, aged 25, Sam decided to start following a plant-based lifestyle which was soon followed by achieving World and European Taekwondo medals. She then decided to re-focus her efforts to triathlon in 2017 and within three months she qualified to represent the Great Britain age-group team.

Within six months of qualifying, Sam was ranked 29th in the world after competing in the World Sprint Championships. She competed at world level in 2018 at standard distance and is now looking to compete in middle distance in 2019. Sam loves sharing her story in the hope it inspires other to get active and see what they can achieve.

To find out more about Sam take a look at her blog or follow her on Instagram or Twitter to hear all about her life as a plant based vegan with a love of sport, food, nature and animals.